Impeachment

This articwe is about a step in de removaw of a pubwic officiaw. For chawwenging a witness in a wegaw proceeding, see Witness impeachment.

Impeachment is de process by which a wegiswative body formawwy wevews charges against a high officiaw of government. Impeachment does not necessariwy mean removaw from office; it is onwy a formaw statement of charges, akin to an indictment in criminaw waw, and is dus onwy de first step towards removaw. Once an individuaw is impeached, he or she must den face de possibiwity of conviction via wegiswative vote, which den entaiws de removaw of de individuaw from office.

Because impeachment and conviction of officiaws invowve an overturning of de normaw constitutionaw procedures by which individuaws achieve high office (ewection, ratification, or appointment) and because it generawwy reqwires a supermajority, dey are usuawwy reserved for dose deemed to have committed serious abuses of deir office. In de United States, for exampwe, impeachment at de federaw wevew is wimited to dose who may have committed "high crimes and misdemeanors".[1]

The word "impeachment" derives from Latin root impedicare expressing de idea of becoming caught or entrapped, and has anawogues in de modern French verb empêcher (to prevent) and de modern Engwishimpede. Medievaw popuwar etymowogy awso associated it (wrongwy) wif derivations from de Latin impetere (to attack). (In its more freqwent and more technicaw usage, impeachment of a witness means chawwenging de honesty or credibiwity of dat person, uh-hah-hah-hah.)

Impeachment was first used in de British powiticaw system.[citation needed] Specificawwy, de process was first used by de Engwish "Good Parwiament" against Baron Latimer in de second hawf of de 14f century. Fowwowing de British exampwe, de constitutions of Virginia (1776), Massachusetts (1780) and oder states dereafter adopted de impeachment mechanism, but dey restricted de punishment to removaw of de officiaw from office. As weww, in private organizations, a motion to impeach can be used to prefer charges.[2]

The Austrian Federaw President can be impeached by de Federaw Assembwy (Bundesversammwung) before de Constitutionaw Court. The constitution awso provides for de recaww of de president by a referendum. Neider of dese courses has ever been taken, uh-hah-hah-hah. This is wikewy because whiwe de President is vested wif considerabwe powers on paper, dey act as a wargewy ceremoniaw figurehead in practice, and is dus hardwy in a position to abuse deir powers.

Fernando Cowwor de Mewwo, de 32nd President of Braziw, resigned in 1992 amidst impeachment proceedings. Despite his resignation, de Senate nonedewess voted to convict him and bar him from howding any office for eight years, due to evidence of bribery and misappropriation, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The President of Buwgaria can be removed onwy for high treason or viowation of de constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah. The process is started by a two-dirds majority vote of de Parwiament to impeach de President, whereupon de Constitutionaw Court decides wheder de President is guiwty of de crime of which he is charged. If he is found guiwty, he is removed from power. No Buwgarian President has ever been impeached. The same procedure can be used to remove de Vice President of Buwgaria, which has awso never happened.

The process of impeaching de President of Croatia can be initiated by a two-dirds majority vote in favor in de Sabor and is dereafter referred to de Constitutionaw Court, which must accept such a proposaw wif a two-dirds majority vote in favor in order for de president to be removed from office. This has, however, never occurred in de history of de Repubwic of Croatia. However, in case of a successfuw impeachment motion a president's constitutionaw term of five years wouwd be terminated and an ewection cawwed widin 60 days of de vacancy occurring. During de period of vacancy de presidentiaw powers and duties wouwd be carried out by de Speaker of de Croatian Parwiament in his/her capacity as Acting President of de Repubwic.[5]

In 2013 de constitution changed; now de process can be started by at weast dree-fifds of present senators and must be approved by at weast dree-fifds of aww members of Parwiament. Awso, de President can be impeached not onwy for high treason (newwy defined in de Constitution) but awso for a serious infringement of de Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah.[9]

The Chief Executive of Hong Kong can be impeached by de Legiswative Counciw. A motion for investigation, initiated jointwy by at weast one-fourf of aww de wegiswators charging de Chief Executive wif "serious breach of waw or derewiction of duty" and refusing to resign, shaww first be passed by de Counciw. An independent investigation committee, chaired by de Chief Justice of de Court of Finaw Appeaw, wiww den carry out de investigation and report back to de Counciw. If de Counciw find de evidence sufficient to substantiate de charges, it may pass a motion of impeachment by a two-dirds majority.[10]:Articwe 73(9)

However, de Legiswative Counciw does not have de power actuawwy to remove de Chief Executive from office, as de Chief Executive is appointed by de Centraw Peopwe's Government. The Counciw can onwy report de resuwt to de Centraw Peopwe's Government for its decision, uh-hah-hah-hah.[10]:Articwe 45

The President of India can be impeached by de Parwiament before de expiry of de term for viowation of de Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah. Oder dan impeachment, no oder penawty can be given to de President for de viowation of de Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah. No Indian President has faced impeachment proceedings. Hence, de provisions for impeachment have never been tested. The President in position cannot be charged and needs to step down in order for dat to happen, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Cabinet ministers can be impeached by de members of de Assembwy. Presidentiaw appointment of a new minister is subject to a parwiamentary vote of confidence. Impeachment of ministers has been a fairwy commonwy used tactic in de power struggwe between de president and de assembwy during de wast severaw governments.

In de Repubwic of Irewand formaw impeachment onwy appwies to de Irish president. Articwe 12 of de Irish Constitution provides dat, unwess judged to be "permanentwy incapacitated" by de Supreme Court, de president can onwy be removed from office by de houses of de Oireachtas (parwiament) and onwy for de commission of "stated misbehaviour". Eider house of de Oireachtas may impeach de president, but onwy by a resowution approved by a majority of at weast two-dirds of its totaw number of members; and a house may not consider a proposaw for impeachment unwess reqwested to do so by at weast dirty of its number.

Where one house impeaches de president, de remaining house eider investigates de charge or commissions anoder body or committee to do so. The investigating house can remove de president if it decides, by at weast a two-dirds majority of its members, bof dat de president is guiwty of de charge, and dat de charge is sufficientwy serious as to warrant de president's removaw. To date no impeachment of an Irish president has ever taken pwace. The president howds a wargewy ceremoniaw office, de dignity of which is considered important, so it is wikewy dat a president wouwd resign from office wong before undergoing formaw conviction or impeachment.

The Repubwic's Constitution and waw awso provide dat onwy a joint resowution of bof houses of de Oireachtas may remove a judge. Awdough often referred to as de "impeachment" of a judge, dis procedure does not technicawwy invowve impeachment. [11]

In Itawy, according to Articwe 90 of de Constitution, de President of de Repubwic can be impeached drough a majority vote of de Parwiament in joint session for high treason and for attempting to overdrow de Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah. If impeached, de President of de Repubwic is den tried by de Constitutionaw Court integrated wif sixteen citizens owder dan forty chosen by wot from a wist compiwed by de Parwiament every nine years.

Itawian press and powiticaw forces made use of de term "impeachment" for de attempt by some members of parwiamentary opposition to initiate de procedure provided for in Articwe 90 against de Presidents Francesco Cossiga (1991) and Giorgio Napowitano (2014). However dese attempts faiwed at an earwy stage.

Members of de Liechtenstein Government can be impeached before de State Court for breaches of de Constitution or of oder waws.[12]:Articwe 62 As a hereditary monarchy de Sovereign Prince can not be impeached as he "is not subject to de jurisdiction of de courts and does not have wegaw responsibiwity".[12]:Articwe 7 The same is true of any member of de Princewy House who exercises de function of head of state shouwd de Prince be temporariwy prevented or in preparation for de Succession, uh-hah-hah-hah.[12]:Articwe 7

Members of government, representatives of de nationaw assembwy (Stortinget) and Supreme Court judges can be impeached for criminaw offenses tied to deir duties and committed in office, according to de Constitution of 1814, §§ 86 and 87. The proceduraw ruwes were modewed after de US ruwes and are qwite simiwar to dem. Impeachment has been used eight times since 1814, wast in 1927. Many argue dat impeachment has fawwen into desuetude. In cases of impeachment, an appointed court (Riksrett) takes effect.

The country's ruwing coawition said on August 7, 2008, dat it wouwd seek de impeachment of PresidentPervez Musharraf, awweging de U.S.-backed former generaw had "eroded de trust of de nation" and increasing pressure on him to resign, uh-hah-hah-hah. He resigned on August 18, 2008. Anoder kind of impeachment in Pakistan is known as de vote of wess-confidence or vote of mis-understanding and has been practiced by provinciaw assembwies to weaken de nationaw assembwy.

Impeaching a president reqwires a two-dirds majority support of wawmakers in a joint session of bof houses of Parwiament.

A main difference from US proceedings however is dat onwy one dird of House members are reqwired to approve de motion to impeach de President (as opposed to a simpwe majority of dose present and voting in deir US counterpart). In de Senate, sewected members of de House of Representatives act as de prosecutors and de Senators act as judges wif de Senate President presiding over de proceedings (de Chief Justice jointwy presides wif de Senate President if de President is on triaw). Like de United States, to convict de officiaw in qwestion reqwires dat a minimum of two dirds (i.e. 16 of 24 members) of aww de Members of de Senate vote in favor of conviction, uh-hah-hah-hah. If an impeachment attempt is unsuccessfuw or de officiaw is acqwitted, no new cases can be fiwed against dat impeachabwe officiaw for at weast one fuww year.

The 1987 Phiwippine Constitution says de grounds for impeachment incwude cuwpabwe viowation of de Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayaw of pubwic trust. These offenses are considered "high crimes and misdemeanors" under de Phiwippine Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah.

The President, Vice President, Supreme Court justices, and members of de Constitutionaw Commission and Ombudsman are aww considered impeachabwe officiaws under de Constitution, uh-hah-hah-hah.

President Joseph Estrada was de first officiaw impeached by de House in 2000, but de triaw ended prematurewy due to outrage over a vote to open an envewope where dat motion was narrowwy defeated by his awwies. Estrada was deposed days water during de 2001 EDSA Revowution.

In 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, impeachment compwaints were fiwed against President Gworia Macapagaw-Arroyo, but none of de cases reached de reqwired endorsement of 1/3 of de members for transmittaw to, and triaw by, de Senate.

In March 2011, de House of Representatives impeachedOmbudsmanMerceditas Gutierrez, becoming de second person to be impeached. In Apriw, Gutierrez resigned prior to de Senate's convening as an impeachment court.

To date, dree officiaws had been successfuwwy impeached by de House of Representatives, and two were not convicted. The watter, Chief Justice Renato C. Corona, on May 29, 2012 has been convicted by de Senate guiwty under Articwe II of de 1987 Phiwippine Constitution (of betraying pubwic trust), wif 20-3 votes from de Senator Judges.

In Powish waw dere is no impeachment procedure defined, as it is present in de oder countries. Infringements of de waw can be investigated onwy by speciaw Parwiament's Committee or (if accusations invowve peopwe howding de highest offices of state) by de State Tribunaw. The State Tribunaw is empowered to ruwe for de removaw of individuaws from pubwic office but it is not a common practice.

The President can be impeached by Parwiament and is den suspended. A referendum den fowwows to determine wheder de suspended President shouwd be removed from office. President Traian Băsescu was impeached twice by de Parwiament: in 2007 and more recentwy in Juwy 2012. A referendum was hewd on May 19, 2007 and a warge majority of de ewectorate voted against removing de president from office. For de most recent suspension a referendum was hewd on Juwy 29, 2012, but was invawidated due to wow turnout, however de resuwts were heaviwy against de president ([16][better source needed])

The President of Russia can be impeached if bof de State Duma (which initiates de impeachment process drough de formation of a speciaw investigation committee) and de Federation Counciw of Russia vote by a two-dirds majority in favor of impeachment and, additionawwy, de Supreme Court finds de President guiwty of treason or a simiwarwy heavy crime against de nation and de Constitutionaw Court confirms dat de constitutionaw procedure of de impeachment process was correctwy observed. In 1995–1999, de Duma made severaw attempts to impeach den-President Boris Yewtsin, but dey never had a sufficient number of votes for de process to reach de Federation Counciw.

According to de Articwe 65 Cwause 1 of Constitution of Souf Korea, if President, Prime Minister, or oder state counciw members incwuding Supreme Court and Constitutionaw court members, viowate de Constitution or oder waws of officiaw duty, de Nationaw Assembwy can impeach dem. Cwause 2 states de impeachment biww may be proposed by one dird or more of de totaw members of de Nationaw Assembwy, and shaww reqwire majority voting and approved by two dirds or more of de totaw members of de Nationaw Assembwy. This articwe awso states dat any person against whom a motion for impeachment has been passed shaww be suspended from exercising his power untiw de impeachment has been adjudicated and shaww not extend furder dan removaw from pubwic office. Provided, That it shaww not exempt de person impeached from civiw or criminaw wiabiwity.

Two presidents have been impeached since de foundation of de Sixf Repubwic of Korea and adoption of de new Constitution of Souf Korea in 1987. Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 was impeached by de Nationaw Assembwy but was overturned by de Constitutionaw Court. Park Geun-hye in 2016 was impeached by de Nationaw Assembwy, and de impeachment was confirmed by de Constitutionaw Court on March 10, 2017.

During de crisis which started in November 2013, de increasing powiticaw stress of de face-down between de protestors occupying Independence Sqware in Kiev and de State Security forces under de controw of President Yanukovych wed to deadwy armed force being used on de protestors. Fowwowing de negotiated return of Kiev's City Haww on February 16, 2014, occupied by de protesters since November 2013, de security forces dought dey couwd awso retake "Maidan", Independence Sqware. The ensuing fighting on 17f drough 21st of February 2014 resuwted in a considerabwe number of deads and a more generawised awienation of de popuwation, and de widdrawaw of President Yanukovych to his support area in de East of Ukraine.

In de wake of de President's departure, Parwiament convened on February 22; it reinstated de 2004 Constitution, which reduced Presidentiaw audority, and voted impeachment of President Yanukovych as de facto recognition of his departure from office as President of an integrated Ukraine. The President riposted dat Parwiament's acts were iwwegaw as dey couwd pass into waw onwy by Presidentiaw signature.

In de United Kingdom, it is de House of Commons dat howds de power of initiating an impeachment. Any member may make accusations of any crime. The member must support de charges wif evidence and move for impeachment. If de Commons carries de motion, de mover receives orders to go to de bar at de House of Lords and to impeach de accused "in de name of de House of Commons, and aww de commons of de United Kingdom."

The mover must teww de Lords dat de House of Commons wiww, in due time, exhibit particuwar articwes against de accused, and make good de same. The Commons den usuawwy sewects a committee to draw up de charges and create an "Articwe of Impeachment" for each. (In de case of Warren Hastings, however, de drawing up of de articwes preceded de formaw impeachment.) Once de committee has dewivered de articwes to de Lords, repwies go between de accused and de Commons via de Lords. If de Commons have impeached a peer, de Lords take custody of de accused; oderwise, custody goes to Bwack Rod. The accused remains in custody unwess de Lords awwow baiw. The Lords set a date for de triaw whiwe de Commons appoints managers, who act as prosecutors in de triaw. The accused may defend by counsew.

The House of Lords hears de case. The procedure used to be dat de Lord Chancewwor presided (or de Lord High Steward if de defendant was a peer); but dis was when de Lord Chancewwor was bof de Lords' presiding officer and head of de judiciary of Engwand and Wawes. Since bof dese rowes were removed from dat office by de Constitutionaw Reform Act 2005, which created de Lord Speaker to preside over de Lords and made de Lord Chief Justice head of de judiciary, it is not certain who wouwd preside over an impeachment triaw today. If Parwiament is not in session, den de triaw is conducted by a "Court of de Lord High Steward" instead of de House of Lords (even if de defendant is not a peer). The differences between dis court and de House of Lords are dat in de House aww of de peers are judges of bof waw and fact, whereas in de Court de Lord High Steward is de sowe judge of waw and de peers decide de facts onwy; and de bishops are not entitwed to sit and vote in de Court.[18] Traditionawwy, peers wouwd wear deir parwiamentary robes during de hearings.

The hearing resembwes an ordinary triaw: bof sides may caww witnesses and present evidence. At de end of de hearing de words vote on de verdict, which is decided by a simpwe majority, one charge at a time. Upon being cawwed, a peer must rise and decware "guiwty, upon my honour" or "not guiwty, upon my honour". After voting on aww of de articwes has taken pwace, and if de Lords find de defendant guiwty, de Commons may move for judgment; de Lords may not decware de punishment untiw de Commons have so moved. The Lords may den decide whatever punishment dey find fit, widin de waw. A royaw pardon cannot excuse de defendant from triaw, but a pardon may reprieve a convicted defendant. However, a pardon cannot override a decision to remove de defendant from de pubwic office dey howd.

Parwiament has hewd de power of impeachment since medievaw times. Originawwy, de House of Lords hewd dat impeachment couwd onwy appwy to members of de peerage, as de nobiwity (de Lords) wouwd try deir own peers, whiwe commoners ought to try deir peers (oder commoners) in a jury. However, in 1681, de Commons decwared dat dey had de right to impeach whomsoever dey pweased, and de Lords have respected dis resowution, uh-hah-hah-hah. Offices hewd "during good behaviour" are terminabwe by de writ of eider qwo warranto[19] or scire facias, which has even been empwoyed by and against weww-pwaced judges.[20]

After de reign of Edward IV, impeachment feww into disuse, de biww of attainder becoming de preferred form of deawing wif undesirabwe subjects of de Crown, uh-hah-hah-hah. However, during de reign of James I and dereafter, impeachments became more popuwar, as dey did not reqwire de assent of de Crown, whiwe biwws of attainder did, dus awwowing Parwiament to resist royaw attempts to dominate Parwiament. The most recent cases of impeachment deawt wif Warren Hastings, Governor-Generaw of India between 1773 and 1786 (impeached in 1788; de Lords found him not guiwty in 1795), and Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Mewviwwe, First Lord of de Admirawty, in 1806 (acqwitted). The wast attempted impeachment occurred in 1848, when David Urqwhart accused Lord Pawmerston of having signed a secret treaty wif Imperiaw Russia and of receiving monies from de Tsar. Pawmerston survived de vote in de Commons; de Lords did not hear de case.

The procedure has, over time, become rarewy used and some wegaw audorities (such as Hawsbury's Laws of Engwand) consider it to be probabwy obsowete. The principwes of "responsibwe government" reqwire dat de Prime Minister and oder executive officers answer to Parwiament, rader dan to de Sovereign, uh-hah-hah-hah. Thus de Commons can remove such an officer drough a motion of no confidence widout a wong, drawn-out impeachment. However, it is argued by some dat de remedy of impeachment remains as part of British constitutionaw waw, and dat wegiswation wouwd be reqwired to abowish it. Furdermore, impeachment as a means of punishment for wrongdoing, as distinct from being a means of removing a minister, remains a vawid reason for accepting dat it continues to be avaiwabwe, at weast in deory.

The Sewect Committee on Parwiamentary Priviwege in 1967 recommended "dat de right to impeach, which has wong been in disuse, be now formawwy abandoned".[21] Their recommendation not having been impwemented in de meantime, de Sewect Committee on Priviweges in 1977 decwared it "to be of continuing vawidity" and again urged dat it be adopted.[22] Shortwy before dis report was issued, in Apriw 1977 de Young Liberaws' annuaw conference unanimouswy passed a motion cawwing on Liberaw Party weader David Steew to move for de impeachment of Ronawd King Murray QC, de Lord Advocate, over his handwing of de Patrick Meehan miscarriage of justice affair.[23] Steew did not move any such motion but Murray (now Lord Murray, a former Senator of de Cowwege of Justice of Scotwand) agreed dat de power stiww existed.

The Joint Committee on Parwiamentary Priviwege in 1999 noted de previous recommendations to formawwy abandon de power impeachment, and stated dat "The circumstances in which impeachment has taken pwace are now so remote from de present dat de procedure may be considered obsowete".[24] Notwidstanding, on August 25, 2004, Pwaid Cymru MP Adam Price announced his intention to move for de impeachment of Tony Bwair for his rowe in invowving Britain in de 2003 invasion of Iraq. He asked de Leader of de House of CommonsPeter Hain wheder he wouwd confirm dat de power to impeach was stiww avaiwabwe, reminding Hain dat as President of de Young Liberaws he had supported de attempted impeachment of Murray. Hain responded by qwoting de 1999 Joint Committee's report, and de advice of de Cwerk of de House of Commons dat impeachment "effectivewy died wif de advent of fuww responsibwe Parwiamentary government".[25]

Simiwar to de British system, Articwe One of de United States Constitution gives de House of Representatives de sowe power of impeachment and de Senate de sowe power to try impeachments of officers of de U.S. federaw government. (Various state constitutions incwude simiwar measures, awwowing de state wegiswature to impeach de governor or oder officiaws of de state government.) In contrast to de British system, in de United States impeachment is onwy de first of two stages, and conviction during de second stage reqwires "de concurrence of two dirds of de members present."[27] Impeachment does not necessariwy resuwt in removaw from office; it is onwy a wegaw statement of charges, parawwew to an indictment in criminaw waw. An officiaw who is impeached faces a second wegiswative vote (wheder by de same body or anoder), which determines conviction, or faiwure to convict, on de charges embodied by de impeachment. Most constitutions reqwire a supermajority to convict. Awdough de subject of de charge is criminaw action, it does not constitute a criminaw triaw; de onwy qwestion under consideration is de removaw of de individuaw from office, and de possibiwity of a subseqwent vote preventing de removed officiaw from ever again howding powiticaw office in de jurisdiction where he or she was removed. Impeachment wif respect to powiticaw office shouwd not be confused wif witness impeachment.

The Constitution defines impeachment at de federaw wevew and wimits impeachment to "The President, Vice President, and aww civiw officers of de United States" who may be impeached and removed onwy for "treason, bribery, or oder high crimes and misdemeanors".[28] Severaw commentators have suggested dat Congress awone may decide for itsewf what constitutes a "high crime or misdemeanor", especiawwy since Nixon v. United States stated dat de Supreme Court did not have de audority to determine wheder de Senate properwy "tried" a defendant.[29] In 1970, den-House Minority LeaderGerawd R. Ford defined de criterion as he saw it: "An impeachabwe offense is whatever a majority of de House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."[30]

The centraw qwestion regarding de Constitutionaw dispute about de impeachment of members of de wegiswature is wheder members of Congress are officers of de United States. The Constitution grants de House de power to impeach "The President, de Vice President, and aww civiw Officers of de United States."[28] It has been suggested dat members of Congress are not officers of de United States[31]. Oders, however, bewieve dat members are civiw officers and are subject to impeachment[32].

The House of Representatives impeached Senator Wiwwiam Bwount in 1798,[33] resuwting in his expuwsion, uh-hah-hah-hah. However, after initiawwy hearing his impeachment, charges were dismissed for wack of jurisdiction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[34][page needed] Left unsettwed was de qwestion wheder members of Congress were civiw officers of de United States. The House has not impeached a Member of Congress since Bwount. As each House has de audority to expew its own members widout invowving de oder chamber, expuwsion has been de medod used for removing Members of Congress.

Jefferson's Manuaw, which is integraw to de Ruwes of de House of Representatives,[35] states dat impeachment is set in motion by charges made on de fwoor, charges proferred by a memoriaw, a member's resowution referred to a committee, a message from de president, charges transmitted from de wegiswature of a state or territory or from a grand jury, or from facts devewoped and reported by an investigating committee of de House. It furder states dat a proposition to impeach is a qwestion of high priviwege in de House and at once supersedes business oderwise in order under de ruwes governing de order of business.

At de federaw wevew, de impeachment process is a two-step procedure. The House of Representatives must first pass, by a simpwe majority of dose present and voting, articwes of impeachment, which constitute de formaw awwegation or awwegations. Upon passage, de defendant has been "impeached". Next, de Senate tries de accused. In de case of de impeachment of a president, de Chief Justice of de United States presides over de proceedings. For de impeachment of any oder officiaw, de Constitution is siwent on who shaww preside, suggesting dat dis rowe fawws to de Senate's usuaw presiding officer, de President of de Senate who is awso de Vice President of de United States.

To convict de accused, "de concurrence of two dirds of de members present" is reqwired.[36] Conviction removes de defendant from office. Fowwowing conviction, de Senate may vote to furder punish de individuaw by barring him or her from howding future federaw office, ewected or appointed. Conviction by de Senate does not bar criminaw prosecution, uh-hah-hah-hah. Even after an accused has weft office, it is possibwe to disqwawify de person from future office or from certain emowuments of his prior office (such as a pension). If dere is no charge for which a two-dirds majority of de senators present vote "guiwty", de defendant is acqwitted and no punishment is imposed.

Andrew Johnson, Democrat/Nationaw Union, was impeached on February 24, 1868 by de House of Representatives after viowating de den-newwy created Tenure of Office Act by a 126 to 47 vote. President Johnson was acqwitted by de Senate, which voted 35–19 to remove him, fawwing one vote short of de necessary two-dirds needed to remove him from office. The Tenure of Office Act wouwd water be found unconstitutionaw by de Supreme Court of de United States in dicta.

Biww Cwinton, Democrat, was impeached on December 19, 1998, by de House of Representatives on articwes charging perjury (specificawwy, wying to a federaw grand jury) by a 228–206 vote and obstruction of justice by a 221–212 vote. The House rejected oder articwes: one was a count of perjury in a civiw deposition in Pauwa Jones' sexuaw harassment wawsuit against Cwinton (by a 205–229 vote), de second accused Cwinton of abuse of power (by a 148–285 vote). President Cwinton was acqwitted by de Senate. The votes to remove him from office feww short of de necessary two-dirds: 45–55 on obstruction of justice and 50–50 on perjury.

In 1876, cabinet officer Wiwwiam W. Bewknap (former Secretary of War), resigned before his triaw and was water acqwitted. Awwegedwy, most of dose who voted to acqwit him bewieved dat his resignation had removed deir jurisdiction, uh-hah-hah-hah.[citation needed]

One Senator, Wiwwiam Bwount, in 1797. He was expewwed by de Senate, which decwined to try de impeachment. This estabwished de precedent dat Members of Congress are not subject to impeachment, as dey can be removed by action of de House of which dey are members widout impeachment or any oder action being necessary.

Fourteen oder federaw judges. Seven of dese have been convicted by de Senate and removed,[37] incwuding Awcee Hastings, who was impeached and convicted in 1989 for taking over $150,000 in bribe money in exchange for sentencing weniency. The Senate did not bar Hastings from howding future office, and Hastings won ewection to de House of Representatives in Fworida. Hastings' name was mentioned as a possibwe Chairman of de House Permanent Sewect Committee on Intewwigence but was passed over by House Speaker-designate Nancy Pewosi, presumabwy because of his previous impeachment and removaw.[38]